F&I and Showroom, February 2017

www fi magazine com 34 F I and Showroom February 2017 SO HERES THE DEAL T This months question comes from Chris in Atlanta home of UPS CNN and MARTA The latter offers train and bus service in metropolitan Atlanta as well as a great place to sleep it off Chris asks I just wanted to ask a question about how to handle a drop in deal which would be a sales guy bringing in a deal where the customer is not coming to the dealership That means weve got to call the customer and try to sell him or her over the phone And well we havent been very successful selling anything Do you have any suggestions Chris this situation is challenging for any F I manager Selling intangibles requires good needs discovery the use of visual aids and helping customers see themselves in a situation where the product will benefit them all of which is difficult to do over the phone And its always easier to say No to a stranger on the phone than it is to a friend across the desk Today it is incumbent upon every dealer to provide customers with valid reasons and even some incentives to take delivery of their new vehicle at the dealership Unfortunately there will always be a few customers who cant or wont do that Whenever a customer makes a commitment to purchase online or over the phone rather than coming into the dealership to take delivery it is the salespersons responsibility to find out when the customer would prefer to have the business manager contact him to confirm the purchase ensure the figures are correct and verify the method of payment If possible that initial introduction should be done while the customer is still online or on the phone In the event a business manager is unavailable at that moment it is the salespersons responsibility to arrange for a business manager to contact the customer as soon as possible This initial contact is critical as the customer is never going to meet you face to face It requires a smile in your voice a sincere appreciation for the customers decision to purchase from your dealership and a servants mentality Since were limited on time we must have a very precise process for discovering the customers needs know exactly which open ended questions we want to ask and when to ask them during the conversation The customer doesnt want to chitchat or listen to a sales pitch he or she wants to provide us with the minimum information necessary to complete the purchase and get off the phone as soon as possible So the F I process has to be perceived by the buyer as expediting the delivery of the vehicle not delaying it Still at some point we have to determine which F I products the customer needs and why he or she needs them So our needs discovery questions have to be interspersed throughout this brief conversation at the appropriate time If the customer doesnt have time to talk right now or doesnt have access to the internet so you can email information you need to review with him or her before you prepare their paperwork you must confirm a convenient time when you can give them a call back And you really need to do so as soon as possible When you call the customer at the agreed upon time you want to review the manufacturers warranty to establish a need for the vehicle service contract Using a consumer website like autoconsumerinfo com will enable the customer to see the factory warranty in action It also gives you third party credibility and provides a great visual aid to help the customer see his or her need for a vehicle service contract Once youve done that you can send the customer a pre prepared email that includes a screen shot or a scanned image of your F I menu so you can review their repayment risk management and vehicle protection options That same email should contain links to other websites attachments with product and consumer information or any other visual aid you think a customer may find helpful Check out my So Heres the Deal blog at www fi magazine com to see my video on how your introductory phone call can lay the foundation for your email Chris thanks for your question And dont forget to submit your own video for a chance to get your question answered and a free YETI Because its a beautiful day to help a customer or take a nap on MARTA ABOUT THE AUTHOR Got a question or objection for Ron Use your mobile phone to record a brief video shot landscape style of your question and upload it to go reahard com ask ron Handling the Drop In Deal An F I pro from Atlanta is struggling with deals involving remote deliveries The magazines resident F I expert has the answer BY RON REAHARD WHEN YOU CALL THE CUSTOMER AT THE AGREED UPON TIME YOU WANT TO REVIEW THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY TO ESTABLISH A NEED FOR THE VEHICLE SERVICE CONTRACT USING A CONSUMER SITE LIKE AUTOCONSUMERINFO COM WILL ENABLE THE CONSUMER TO SEE THE FACTORY WARRANTY IN ACTION IT ALSO GIVES YOU THIRD PARTY CREDIBILITY

View the Covers and the Table of Contents pages from every issue of this publication, all gathered together for easy browsing. Just flip pages and zoom as you normally do to see each issue's Cover and Table of Contents, then follow links directly to interesting content.